Butter Chicken Brothy Rice

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs (skinless and boneless)

200 g uncooked rice or 500g cooked microwave rice

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp mild chilli powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp garlic granules

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

250 g passata

250 ml chicken stock

150 ml double cream

2 tbsp crispy onions

5 g fresh coriander (finely chopped)

Directions

Start by mixing all of your spices together in a small bowl, leaving the sugar aside. Add the chicken thighs to a larger bowl with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and half of the spice mix. Toss until every piece is well coated and set aside. If you are cooking rice, begin to cook it according to package instructions.

Heat half of the olive oil and butter in a large deep pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and fry until golden on both sides and cooked through. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, melt more butter and stir in the tomato puree. Let it cook briefly to deepen its flavour, then add the remaining spice mix. Stir well before adding the passata, salt, pepper and sugar. Simmer gently for 5 minutes so the flavours can bloom. Pour in the chicken stock and double cream, stirring until you have a silky, pourable sauce. Nestle the chicken back into the pan and simmer gently for a few minutes so the meat absorbs the sauce.

To serve, spoon fluffy rice into bowls. Top with sliced chicken and generously ladle over the brothy sauce. Finish with fresh coriander and crispy onions.

Let the spice-coated chicken rest for at least ten minutes before cooking. This gives the spices time to bloom and stick to the meat, helping the flavour penetrate deeper so every bite tastes well seasoned and aromatic rather than only flavoured on the surface.

Nutrition

• Calories: 670 kcal
• Total Fat: 31 g
• Total Carbohydrate: 54 g
• Protein: 41 g